Our Ringing Planet ~ December 28, 2004


Unless you’ve been visiting another solar system for the holidays, you’re well aware of the horrifying geophysical catastrophe of last weekend. Given that you’ve been aboard Earth, you’ve also felt (to some degree) the tuning fork-like vibrations occurring in the interior of our planet. Aftershocks that would send most people scurrying for cover and Californians casually betting on the exact magnitude persist even through today. Astrologers are scurrying as well. Cyberspace is filled with speculative e-mails about the planetary patterns that induce such things. Most of the classical alignment assumptions played out in this quake.


In my book, the factors I discussed in the last blog certainly apply in being contributing factors. But another factor appears here, though, that would be dismissed by astronomers and geophysicists as purely physical (yep, that’s our point, too). On January 2nd, the Earth comes as close to the Sun as it does in its annual revolution. Every year between the 2nd and possibly 4th, depending upon your position on the planet and leap years, the Earth nudges nearest the Sun. Seven of twenty-one of the world’s deadliest earthquakes (not counting this past event) have occurred within a month of the Earth’s perihelion.


Why? This is the time of the shortest distance between the Earth and the Sun. This is also the time that one of the undeniable laws of nature applies with the greatest severity: gravity. I had a discussion with a “you can transcend anything in the real world person” a while back about this. The claim submitted by this individual was that of a fiercely independent soul: gravity applies only to those who believe in it. “Fine,” I replied, “so levitate right now.”


Anyway, given the shortest distance to the hugest body in our solar system, gravitational pulls maximize. Add to this the waning effect of the Full Moon, which places the Moon and Sun rising and setting opposite one another. This alignment causes the largest stress on the tectonic plates of Earth as caused by the lunation cycle. Something has to give. Add a few other planets for good measure and boom.


Not everyone felt the earthquake. I did not feel its actual shock but felt the entire instability while flying over the holiday weekend both times in bumpy air. It seemed more than turbulence, though. For a while I was relieved to be in the air, off the reverberating core of the Earth. Believe it or not, tremors cause psychic disruption in everyone’s sensorial systems. With the Earth approaching the Sun, everyone on earth feels the greatest gravity while the Earth achieves its maximum radial velocity around the Sun. It’s like when the guy at the traveling carnival cranks up your favorite ride - you better hope he’s not as hung over as he looks.


This is why most people feel what they do after the new year. Party’s over, pounds have accumulated and indulgences wreak havoc on even the most pristine bodily temple. Ugh. Time to get serious about life and work. Time to work out. Sigh. Those blues are the function of the gravitational tugs occur annually just after the turn of the year for those using the “standard” calender. I had a point of objectification on this matter, too, as I flew home. I spoke with a Vietnamese woman in the boarding line of my aircraft reminding me to celebrate Tet later in the year to be a well-rounded Earthling.


No matter where you put the new year marker, in early January, things heavy up. The increasing velocity of the Earth induces an unconscious urgency to get on with life. If compliance does not occur immediately, the post-holiday-partum gravitationally-induced blues find their way into the psyche.


Given the recent world tragedy many count their blessings with new vigor. Regardless of reaction to the earthquake(s) and subsequent tsunamis, compassion for all humanity increases. The message might be to hold the compassion, sensitivity and displays of caring that often appear as temporary bright lights in a more sustained indelible manner within the soul. Life on Earth is not always easy. As the intense feelings of instability resonate within us all, may we remain mindful, tolerant and helpful.


Within it all, may the marking of the changing of the January-December calendar inspire you for your greatest involvement on Earth ever known.


As a mundane note, my consultation rates will apply a modest increase on January 24th. All readings paid in full prior to that time will be under current rates. Contact me for more information.


A final note to astrologers: given the radical alteration of the Earth’s daily rotation from the quakes, an accurate horoscope will be impossible for quite some time. That obscure little factor known as Delta T posted in your ephemeris is estimated, as it is in computer programs. While this fact remains true all the time, now it is more accentuated because of the skew to the Earth’s rotation. Imagine that, we never calculate a present tense or future horoscope with exactitude and precision. We can only do it accurately looking at the past. Bugger.